diff --git a/rust/crates/runtime/src/session_control.rs b/rust/crates/runtime/src/session_control.rs
index e6c3f6c06f..896ad91580 100644
--- a/rust/crates/runtime/src/session_control.rs
+++ b/rust/crates/runtime/src/session_control.rs
@@ -93,8 +93,19 @@ impl SessionStore {
     }
 
     pub fn resolve_reference(&self, reference: &str) -> Result<SessionHandle, SessionControlError> {
+        self.resolve_reference_excluding(reference, None)
+    }
+
+    /// Resolve a session reference, optionally excluding a session by ID.
+    /// When the reference is an alias, the excluded session is skipped
+    /// so /resume latest returns the previous session, not the current one.
+    pub fn resolve_reference_excluding(
+        &self,
+        reference: &str,
+        exclude_id: Option<&str>,
+    ) -> Result<SessionHandle, SessionControlError> {
         if is_session_reference_alias(reference) {
-            let latest = self.latest_session()?;
+            let latest = self.latest_session_excluding(exclude_id)?;
             return Ok(SessionHandle {
                 id: latest.id,
                 path: latest.path,
@@ -158,10 +169,34 @@ impl SessionStore {
     }
 
     pub fn latest_session(&self) -> Result<ManagedSessionSummary, SessionControlError> {
-        if let Some(latest) = self.list_sessions()?.into_iter().next() {
+        self.latest_session_excluding(None)
+    }
+
+    /// Find the most recent session, optionally excluding a session by ID
+    /// and skipping sessions with 0 messages. Used by /resume latest to skip
+    /// the current empty session and find the previous session with actual
+    /// conversation history.
+    pub fn latest_session_excluding(
+        &self,
+        exclude_id: Option<&str>,
+    ) -> Result<ManagedSessionSummary, SessionControlError> {
+        let exclude = exclude_id.unwrap_or("");
+        // First: look in the current workspace's session namespace
+        if let Some(latest) = self
+            .list_sessions()?
+            .into_iter()
+            .find(|s| s.id != exclude && s.message_count > 0)
+        {
             return Ok(latest);
         }
-        if let Some(latest) = self.scan_global_sessions()?.into_iter().next() {
+        // Fallback: scan all workspace namespaces under ~/.claw/sessions/
+        // and project-local .claw/sessions/ so /resume latest finds sessions
+        // from other workspaces.
+        if let Some(latest) = self
+            .scan_global_sessions()?
+            .into_iter()
+            .find(|s| s.id != exclude && s.message_count > 0)
+        {
             return Ok(latest);
         }
         Err(SessionControlError::Format(format_no_managed_sessions(
@@ -204,28 +239,41 @@ impl SessionStore {
         &self,
         reference: &str,
     ) -> Result<LoadedManagedSession, SessionControlError> {
-        match self.load_session(reference) {
-            Ok(loaded) => Ok(loaded),
-            Err(SessionControlError::WorkspaceMismatch { expected, actual })
-                if is_session_reference_alias(reference) =>
+        self.load_session_excluding(reference, None)
+    }
+
+    /// Like `load_session_loose` but also excludes a session by ID.
+    /// Used by /resume latest to skip the current empty session and find
+    /// the previous session with actual conversation history.
+    pub fn load_session_excluding(
+        &self,
+        reference: &str,
+        exclude_id: Option<&str>,
+    ) -> Result<LoadedManagedSession, SessionControlError> {
+        let handle = self.resolve_reference_excluding(reference, exclude_id)?;
+        let session = Session::load_from_path(&handle.path)?;
+        // For alias references, allow cross-workspace resume
+        if is_session_reference_alias(reference) {
+            if let Err(SessionControlError::WorkspaceMismatch {
+                expected: _,
+                actual,
+            }) = self.validate_loaded_session(&handle.path, &session)
             {
-                let handle = self.resolve_reference(reference)?;
-                let session = Session::load_from_path(&handle.path)?;
                 eprintln!(
                     "  Note: resuming session from a different workspace (origin: {})",
                     actual.display()
                 );
-                let _ = expected; // suppress unused warning
-                Ok(LoadedManagedSession {
-                    handle: SessionHandle {
-                        id: session.session_id.clone(),
-                        path: handle.path,
-                    },
-                    session,
-                })
             }
-            Err(other) => Err(other),
+        } else {
+            self.validate_loaded_session(&handle.path, &session)?;
         }
+        Ok(LoadedManagedSession {
+            handle: SessionHandle {
+                id: session.session_id.clone(),
+                path: handle.path,
+            },
+            session,
+        })
     }
 
     pub fn fork_session(
diff --git a/rust/crates/rusty-claude-cli/src/main.rs b/rust/crates/rusty-claude-cli/src/main.rs
index 5febf8417a..7ee36c8898 100644
--- a/rust/crates/rusty-claude-cli/src/main.rs
+++ b/rust/crates/rusty-claude-cli/src/main.rs
@@ -6364,7 +6364,8 @@ impl LiveCli {
             return Ok(false);
         };
 
-        let (handle, session) = load_session_reference(&session_ref)?;
+        let (handle, session) =
+            load_session_reference_excluding(&session_ref, Some(&self.session.id))?;
         let message_count = session.messages.len();
         let session_id = session.session_id.clone();
         let runtime = build_runtime(
@@ -7059,17 +7060,18 @@ fn latest_managed_session() -> Result<ManagedSessionSummary, Box<dyn std::error:
 
 fn load_session_reference(
     reference: &str,
+) -> Result<(SessionHandle, Session), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
+    load_session_reference_excluding(reference, None)
+}
+
+fn load_session_reference_excluding(
+    reference: &str,
+    exclude_id: Option<&str>,
 ) -> Result<(SessionHandle, Session), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
     let store = current_session_store()?;
-    // For alias references ("latest", "last", "recent"), allow cross-workspace
-    // resume so /resume latest finds the most recent session globally.
-    // For explicit references, workspace validation is enforced.
-    let result = if runtime::session_control::is_session_reference_alias(reference) {
-        store.load_session_loose(reference)
-    } else {
-        store.load_session(reference)
-    };
-    let loaded = result.map_err(|e| Box::new(e) as Box<dyn std::error::Error>)?;
+    let loaded = store
+        .load_session_excluding(reference, exclude_id)
+        .map_err(|e| Box::new(e) as Box<dyn std::error::Error>)?;
     Ok((
         SessionHandle {
             id: loaded.handle.id,